Supers!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Capsicum Fry is a dry curry and it can be served as one of the side dish. Capsicum is available in different colours and you get this veggie in the market at any time of the year. It has its own aroma and most of us love the veggie. We all know that capsicum goes well with almost all dishes.

Lets see some health benefits of having capsicum in our diet.
Capsicum help to relieve the pain. It has anti-inflammatory analgesic properties which help to give relief in pain. It is good for treating gastrointestinal disorder and improving bone health. It has a good source of antioxidant properties and beneficial for repairing tissue protein and helps the healthy tissues to receive protection from anti oxidant. Capsicum is good for hair fall, but one must take care while applying it on the hair.
Capsicum dry curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis, poori or any type of rotis and bread.
No onions or No garlic is used in this curry.Lets see the recipe now :

HelloEvery one....My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, traveling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Sorekai/Bottle gourd/Doodi is one of the healthiest vegetable and it is loaded with many nutrious minerals and vitamins. Pappu is nothing but the dal cooked with vegetables. Vegetables like bottle gourd, edible leaves, mooli, brinjals, beans and carrots can be added with dals and cooked with some simple spices. Pappu is known name for dal in Telugu Language. (Andra Pradesh in Indian). Pappu goes well with almost all the main dishes and it is one of the healthy, easy and quick dish anyone can prepare.

Lets see the recipe now. I have used Moong dal here. No onion or no garlic is added to this dish.

Ingredients:

Toor Daal or Moong Daal : 1/2 cup.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd : 2 cups .( Cut according to your wish).

Green chillies : 4 to 6
Corianer Leaves : 3 to 4 sticks.

Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.

Oil or Ghee : 1 Table spoon .

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.

Urd Daal : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Ingh ( Asafatodia ) : a pinch .

Ginger : small piece

Salt : To taste .

Water : According to the requirement.

Turmeric : a pinch
Lemon Extract : 1 Teaspoon (1/2 Lemon)

Method :

1. Wash Moong dal and add a cup of water. Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Wash bottle gourd, remove the outer layer and cut it into small pieces.

HelloEvery one....My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, traveling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.

10. Serve with the main dish of your choice.
Note :
You can cut the pieces into small and then cook directly on the fire. One should take care while cooking. It should not be over cooked. Adding any spice is optional. Adding onions or garlic is optional. Use of minimum oil is optional and healthy too.
Time : 15 Minutes.

HelloEvery one....My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, traveling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Payasa/Kheer is a sweet dish and it is nice to have at any time of the day. Bottle gourd is loaded with healthy properties.
I have used bottle gourd, Avalakki, cardamom, coconut milk and jaggery for this payasa.

Lets see some benefits of eating " Cardamom " in our diet.
Cardamom helps to control cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation in the body. It is good for curing dental diseases and urinary tract infections. Cardamom contain some amount of anti inflammatory properties. It helps control and lower the blood pressure. It is rich with antioxidant properties. It is good for preventing cold and flu. Cardamom is rich in fiber. Cardamom is a good detoxify the unwanted things. It helps to clean out urinary tract, bladder and kidney and removes excess water, toxins and salt. In Ayurveda, it is said that it helps to fight depression. Cardamom is used for bad breath, mouth ulcers and infections of mouth and throat.
Lets see the recipe Now.

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and cut them into small pieces.

2. Cook cut pieces till they turn soft.
3. Great coconut and grind it with little water and squeeze out the milk. Grind it again and squeeze out the milk second time. Keep this milk aside.
4. Powder cardamom and fry cashews with 1 tablespoon of ghee.

9. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add cardamom powder and shift the Kheer to a serving dish.

10. Add ghee fried cashews and serve Sorekai Payasa cold or hot .

Note :
You can grind coconut into paste consistency and then add the ground coconut to payasa. (No need to add coconut milk). Remember that coconut should be tender.(not tender coconut). Jaggery should be reboiled to remove the dust particles. Keep 1/2 cup of water in a pan. Keep the pan on the stove. Let it melt and turn full liquid. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Sieve this content with a strainer. This way you can remove the dust particles in jaggey. Use the clean jaggery always. Adding avalakki/flattened rice is optional.Time : 20 MinutesServes : 4 to 5

HelloEvery one....My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, traveling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Coconut Rice vada is one of traditional and special dish from Udupi/Dakshina Kannada. It is prepared using raw rice, coconut, a very little jaggery and salt. The rice is soaked and ground it into paste and then added with little jaggery and salt.

It is nice to have it when it is raining heavily outside, you start eating this Kai Vada with a cup of coffee or Tea, You will really just say WoW. This Wow does mean every thing that you have enjoyed the dish thoroughlly.
This is one of my earlier recipe and just thought would add some pics, which I have reacently captured while prepring the dish.
There is no onion or garlic in this dish. COCONUT RICE VADA can be prepared at any time of the day and it is easy I can say. All we need is rice flower and other ingredients.
Lets us see the recipe now.

Things Needed:

Method :

1. Grate coconut and grind jeera and green chilly. ( Add very little water while grind).
2. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl.
3. Add rice flour to the coconut mixture. Add salt and jeera/cumin seeds.

4. Mix it well and prepare dough ( Poori consistency).
5. Keep a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Heat.
6. Divide the dough into small portions. Wet your palm and take one divided portion and pat it with fingers.

7. Fry this flattened vada on medium and low flame. (Both sides should be golden brown). 1 vada at a time.
8. Remove it from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

9. Let the oil absored from the kitchen tissue.

10. Serve " Coconut Rice Vada " with a cup of tea/coffee.

11. Repeat the same with remaining dough.
12. You can prepare these vadas by adding little jaggery instead of chilly.

Note :

Do not grind coconut with more water. Then you will have to add more rice flour and it will not be tasty. Adding very little jaggery adds to the taste. Do not use jaggery if you are using green chilly.
Time : 30 Minutes.Serves : At least 15 to 20 Vadas can be prepared.

HelloEvery one....My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, traveling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.